Archives of Nethys

Prestige Classes

Gray Corsair

SourceAdventurer's Guide pg. 68Scourge of the seaborne slaver, Gray Corsairs augment existing class skills with specializations that suit them well for their long tours of duty at sea. Yet Gray Corsairs must also be able to operate with skill on land, for they are often expected to mount marine-based raids on island strongholds or other remote locations used by slavers as markets or staging areas for their cruelty.

The Gray Corsairs existed for some time before the Eagle Knights officially formed. While they’ve focused on fighting slavery from the start, they did so in their early days as true pirates rather than privateers. Their assimilation into the Eagle Knights as the naval arm of the Steel Falcons gave the organization a surprisingly strong presence in the Inner Sea, and with Andoran’s direct support, these privateers have become a force to be reckoned with.

The freedom fighters who take this prestige class exemplify the call to action to fight slavery in a more violent and aggressive manner than do their allies in the Bellflower Network, and they focus not on mainland slavery but upon the disruption of sea trade of slaves. Swift and agile combatants are in high demand on Gray Corsair ships, as are spellcasters with the ability to command elemental forces or magical transport, and the prestige class plays to this, offering such characters an opportunity to choose an area of specialty while bolstering their nautical skill and knack for rescuing slaves.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Gray Corsair, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Favored Port (Ex) Gray Corsairs build alliances and friendships that last lifetimes among freed slaves and their families as a result of the organization’s good work. A Gray Corsair can pick any coastal settlement as a favored port. While in that settlement, a Gray Corsair gains a +2 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Knowledge (local) checks, as well as on initiative checks and Will saving throws. He need not pay for room and board in a favored port. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a Gray Corsair can select another favored port. A Gray Corsair also gains his favored port bonuses when aboard any ship whose home port is one of his favored ports.

Gray Focus: Gray Corsair training works best when synergizing with the powers and talents of a limited range of classes that are particularly well-suited to the seaborne life of rescuing slaves and defeating slavers. When a character gains his first level as a Gray Corsair, he must choose one of the following classes as his gray focus: bard, cleric, fighter, gunslinger, inquisitor, investigator, magus, mesmerist, psychic, rogue, swashbuckler, sorcerer, or wizard.

If he chose a spellcasting class, the Gray Corsair automatically succeeds at any concentration checks required to cast a spell while being subjected to vigorous or violent motion while either swimming or on a ship.

If he chose a non-spellcasting class, the Gray Corsair doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity as a result of moving through a threatened square while on a ship or while swimming, unless he chooses to do so.

A Gray Corsair who has no levels in any of the above classes must still choose a class as his gray focus, but until he gains a level in that chosen class, he does not gain any benefit for his gray focus or gray boons (see below). Once he gains at least 1 level in his gray focus class, he immediately gains the appropriate powers and boons due him from his Gray Corsair class levels.

Gray Boon: At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a Gray Corsair gains some of the class features of the class he chose as his gray focus, provided he has at least 1 level in the class chosen.

If his gray focus class is bard, cleric, inquisitor, magus, mesmerist, psychic, sorcerer, or wizard, he gains spells per day as if he’d gained an additional level of the class chosen.

If his gray focus class is fighter, gunslinger, or swashbuckler, he gains a bonus combat feat.

If his gray focus class is investigator, he gains a +1d6 studied strike, as per the investigator class feature. This extra damage stacks with other sources of studied strike.

If his gray focus class is rogue, he gains a +1d6 sneak attack, as per the rogue class feature. This extra damage stacks with other sources of sneak attack damage.

Know the Ropes (Ex): Gray Corsairs spend a lot of time in the rigging of their ships, as this affords them the best view. At 2nd level, while climbing ropes or rigging, a Gray Corsair gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Climb checks and needs only one hand free to do so. In addition, in such circumstances he doesn’t take a penalty when using the accelerated climbing option, doesn’t lose his Dexterity bonus to AC, and doesn’t need to attempt a Climb check to avoid falling when he takes damage.

Slaver Slayer (Ex): At 3rd level, a Gray Corsair gains a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against targets he knows to be slavers or to own slaves. This bonus increases to +4 at 6th level and +6 at 9th level. A Gray Corsair automatically confirms critical hits against such targets.

Breathe Easy (Sp): Desperate slavers sometimes throw their living cargo overboard, so a Gray Corsair must help slaves stay alive until they can be plucked from the waves. At 4th level, a Gray Corsair can cast water breathing once per day as a spell-like ability (CL = the Gray Corsair’s class level). The Gray Corsair can use this ability as a move action or an immediate action if he so chooses. When used as a move action, the ability can affect only one creature, but can do so at a range of 120 feet. When used as an immediate action, the ability can affect only one creature, but can do so at a range of 60 feet, and its duration is reduced to 1 minute per level. A Gray Corsair can use this ability twice per day at 7th level, and up to three times per day at 10th level.

Grim Resolve (Ex): A Gray Corsair has seen more suffering aboard a single slave ship than many will in their entire lives, but this only hardens his resolve—he knows all too well that there are fates worse than death. At 5th level, a Gray Corsair becomes immune to fear effects and adds his Wisdom bonus to attempts to stabilize when his hit points are reduced to below 0.

Grant Freedom (Sp): At 9th level, a Gray Corsair gains the effects of freedom of movement as a constant spell-like ability (his effective caster level equals his class level). As a swift action, he can transfer this effect to a creature by touch, but in this case the effect persists for only 1 minute per effective caster level. When he does so, he regains the benefits of this ability 24 hours later.

Whisk to Freedom (Sp): A Gray Corsair spends enough time harnessing the wind that he learns to become one with it. At 10th level, a Gray Corsair gains wind walk and word of recall as spell-like abilities (caster level 10th), each usable once per day. Word of recall must return the Gray Corsair to a Gray Corsair ship.